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How Should Students Make Use of their Academic Advisor?

How you and your faculty advisor should work together:

Because a strong advisor-advisee relationship is central to your success at SLU, it is important to think about how you can make the most of your relationship with your faculty advisor. The keys to being a good advisee are thinking carefully and intentionally about all four years of your SLU experience and providing your advisor with honest and complete information about what skills you have, what sort of help you need, and what you are really interested in. Look at the catalogue, think about your interests, and be prepared to give direction to your choices.

Your faculty advisor can:

• Help monitor your progress toward your degree • Help you select and register for courses • Serve as someone you can talk to when you need advice or assistance • Serve as a link to other faculty and staff who can provide information and assistance that your advisor cannot • Provide you with information about, and help you understand, university policies or direct you to those who can provide that information and assistance • Sign important paperwork for registration, changing courses, and other purposes

The student's responsibility in academic advising:

• Making all final decisions • Knowing your advisor's office hours • Scheduling periodic meetings with your advisor, especially prior to advising week (advising week is a time set aside for students and academic advisors to discuss academic goals and future course choices with their advisors) • Coming to meetings prepared by reading the course schedule and catalogue ahead of time • Being aware of, and respecting, registration and major/minor declaration deadlines • Keeping track of your courses, requirements, and your progress towards your degree • Completing all the necessary degree requirements and associated paperwork • Informing your advisor about any Co-curricular activities you are involved in that might affect your academic choices or academic performance • Contacting your advisor as soon as you are having difficulties • Being forthcoming and honest with your advisor • Considering carefully your advisor's suggestions

When to see your advisor:

• To discuss academic requirements and progress toward a degree • To discuss academic progress • To discuss any problems that affect your academic performance • To discuss major and minor interests • To select courses • To add or drop a course, take a course pass/ fail, or withdraw from a course

Written by Dr. Ginny Schwartz, Coordinator of Academic Support (2001-2008)